Some known vehicle consists include several propulsion-generating vehicles that generate tractive effort for propelling the vehicle consists along a route. For example, trains may have several locomotives coupled with each other that propel the train along a track. The locomotives may communicate with each other in order to coordinate the tractive efforts and/or braking efforts provided by the locomotives. As one example, locomotives may be provided in a distributed power (DP) arrangement with one locomotive designated as a lead locomotive and other locomotives designated as remote locomotives. The lead locomotive may direct the tractive and braking efforts provided by the remote locomotives during a trip of the consist.
Some known consists use wireless communication between the locomotives for coordinating the tractive and/or braking efforts. For example, a lead locomotive can issue commands to the remote locomotives. The remote locomotives receive the commands and implement the tractive efforts and/or braking efforts directed by the commands.
Wireless messages can be communicated in a variety of different protocols. These different protocols can dictate the syntax, content, format, or the like, of the information included in the messages. Messages communicated in different protocols may not be understood by different systems. Systems onboard different vehicles may use different protocols and, as a result, these systems may not be able to communicate with each other.
In order to ensure that the vehicles in a vehicle consist are able to communicate with each other, the vehicles may need to all be the same type of vehicle and include systems that communicate using the same protocol. Because a wide variety of vehicle types and vehicle systems exist, forming a consist with only a single type of vehicle and vehicle systems that communicate using the same protocol can significantly limit the consists that can be formed.